The Rag Man

Hey all, I am so sorry that this is so late. I got pulled to counsel this week on Sunday, and when I counsel I have no access to anything electronic. I’m with kids 24/7. Anyways. I promise I have not forgotten about you. As you read this story, by walter wangerin jr. think of it as a allegory to who our Lord Jesus is. I’d love to hear your thoughts. I hope this moves you as it moves me.

'i saw a strange sight. i stumbled upon a story most strange, like nothing my life, my street sense, my sly tongue had ever prepared me for. hush, child, hush now, and i will tell it to you. even before the dawn one friday morning i noticed a young man, handsome and strong, walking the alleys of out city. he was pulling an old cart filled with clothes both bright and new, and he was calling in a clear, tenor voice: "rags!" ah, the air was foul and the first light filthy to be crossed by such sweet music. "rags! new rags for old! i take your tired rags! rags!"

"now this is a wonder," i thought to myself, for the man stood six-feet-four and his arms were like tree limbs, hard and muscular, and his eyes flashed intelligence. could he find no better job than this, to be a ragman in the inner city? i followed him. my curiosity drove me. and i wasn't disappointed. soon the ragman saw a woman sitting on her back porch. she was sobbing into a handkerchief, sighing, and shedding a thousand tears. her knees and elbows made a sad x. her shoulders shook. her heart was breaking. the ragman stopped his cart. quietly, he walked to the women, stepping round tin cans, dead toys, and pampers. "give me your rag," he said so gently, "and i will give you another." he slipped the handkerchief from her eyes. she looked up, and he laid across her palm a linen cloth so clean and new that it shined. she blinked from the gift to the giver. then, as he began to pull his cart again, the ragman did a strange thing: he put her stained handkerchief to his own face; and then he began to weep, to sob as grievously as she had done, his shoulders shaking, yet she was left without a tear.

"this is a wonder," i breathed to myself, and i followed the sobbing ragman like a child who cannot turn away from a mystery. "rags! rags! new rags for old!" in a little while, when the sky showed grey behind the rooftops and i could see the shredded curtains hanging out black windows, the ragman came upon a girl who's head was wrapped in a bandage, who's eyes were empty. blood soaked her bandage. a single line of blood ran down her cheek. now the tall ragman looked upon this child with pity, and he drew a lovely yellow bonnet from his cart. "give me your rag." he said tracing his own line on her cheek, "and i'll give you mine." the child could only gaze at him while he loosened the bandage, removed it, and tied it to his own head. the bonnet he set on hers. and i gasped at what i saw: for with the bandage went the wound! against his brow it ran a darker, more substantial blood - his own! "rags! rags! i take old rags!" cried the sobbing, bleeding, strong, intelligent ragman.

the sun hurt both the sky, now, and my eyes; the ragman seemed more and more to hurry. "are you going to work?" he asked a man who leaned against a telephone pole. the man shook his hear. the ragman pressed him: "do you have a job?" "are you crazy?" sneered the other. he pulled away from the pole revealing the right sleeve of his jacket - flat, the cuff stuffed into the pocket. he had no arm. "so," said the ragman. "give me your jacket, and i'll give you mine." such quiet authority in his voice. the one-armed man took off his jacket. so did the ragman - and i trembled at what i saw: for the ragman's arm stayed in it's sleeve, and when the other put it on he had two good arms, thick as tree limbs; but the ragman had only one. "go to work," he said.

after that he found a drunk, and lying unconscious beneath an army blanket, and old man hunched, wizened, and sick. he took that blanket and wrapped it round himself, but for the drunk her left new clothes. and now i had to run to keep up with the ragman. though he was weeping uncontrollably, and bleeding freely at the forehead, pulling his cart with one arm, stumbling from drunkenness, falling again and again, exhausted, old, and sick, yet he went with terrible speed. on spider's legs he skittered through the alleys of the city, this mile and the next until he came to its limits, and then her rushed beyond.

i went to see the change in this man. i hurt to see his sorrow. and yet i needed to see where he was going in such haste, perhaps to know what drove him so. the little old ragman - he came to a landfill. he came to the garbage pits. and then i wanted to help him in what he did, but i hung back hiding. he climbed a hill. with tormented labor he cleared a little space on that hill. then he sighed. he lay down. he pillowed he head on a handkerchief and a jacket. he covered is bones with an army blanket. and he died. oh, how i cried to witness that death! i slumped into a junked car and wailed and mourned as one who had no hope - because i had come to love that ragman. every other face had faded in the wonder of this man, and i cherished him; but he died. i sobbed myself to sleep. i did not know - how could i know? - that i had slept through friday night and saturday and its night, too.

but then, on sunday morning, i was wakened by a violence. light - pure, hard, demanding light - slammed against my sour face, and i blinked, and i looked, and i saw the last and the first wonder of all. there was the ragman, folding the blanket most carefully, a scar on his forehead, but alive! and, besides that, healthy! there was no sign of sorrow nor of age, and all the rags he had gathered shined for cleanliness.

well then i lowered my head and trembling for all that i had seen, i myself walked up to the ragman. i told him my name with shame, for i was a sorry figure next to him. then i took off all my clothes in that place, and i said with dear yearning in my voice: "dress me." he dressed me. my Lord, he put new rags on me, and i am a wonder beside him. the ragman. the ragman. the Christ.'

Love.

So you may think by the title that today's passage is going to be about 'romantic' love. Sorry... that's not the case. But you'll see. It's going to be good... Read on my friends, do read on. :)

1 Corinthians 13:4-8

“Love is patient. Love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails.”

So, have you ever heard the saying: God is love? How about now, we put God in the place of the word love.

God is patient. God is kind. He does not envy, he does not boast, he is not proud. He is not rude, he is not self-seeking, he is not easily angered, he keeps no record of wrongs. God does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. He always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. God never fails

Powerful, huh? Do you believe that? That God never fails? That God is all of these things?

Ok so, now. We as Christians; as people who believe in Jesus; people who follow Christ; who want to be more like Him. To live and love others as He loved. To serve as He served. So if we are trying to be like Him, and God is Love, then, put your name in that place. Say it this way:

I am patient. I am kind. I do not envy, I do not boast, I am not proud. I am not rude, I am not self-seeking, I am not easily angered, I keep no record of wrongs. I do not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. I always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. I never fail.

Humbling, huh? Like wow. That is not me. I have a lot to work on. But I want to be this way. I hope that I can work to be more like this. I challenge you, to challenge yourself with this passage. And to pick some of these things to work on. Strive to be more like Christ. To love like our God has loved. Because God is love. <3

This week our passage is Romans 12:9-21

9 Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good. 10 Be devoted to one another in brotherly love. Honor one another above yourselves. 11 Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord. 12 Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. 13 Share with God's people who are in need. Practice hospitality. 14 Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse. 15 Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn. 16 Live in harmony with one another. Do not be proud, but be willing to associate with people of low position. Do not be conceited. 17 Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everybody. 18 If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone. 19 Do not take revenge, my friends, but leave room for God's wrath, for it is written: "It is mine to avenge; I will repay, "says the Lord. 20 On the contrary: "If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink. In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head."21 Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.

These verses intrigue me. They are all absolutes. When you break it down almost ever sentence is a specific instruction. List them out.

-Love must be sincere.
-Hate what is evil
-Cling to what is good *
-Be devoted to one another in brotherly love
-Honor one another
-Be joyful in hope
-Be patient in affliction
-Be faithful in prayer *
-Be joyful in need
-Practice hospitality
-Bless those who persecute you
-Bless and do not curse
-Rejoice with those who rejoice
-Mourn with those who mourn
-Live in harmony with one another
-Do not be proud *
-Be willing to associate with people of low position
-Do not be conceited
-Do not repay anyone evil for evil
-Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everybody
-If possible live in peace with everyone
-Do not take revenge
-Do not be overcome by evil but overcome evil with good

For this week try to commit to trying out three of these things. Post which ones you are going to try, or update during the week about how it’s going. These are over arching principles but I feel like they apply to so many situations in life. I starred the ones that I am going to work on this week. I’ll let you know how it went ☺ The Lord Bless you and keep you. May His face shine upon you. And may He give you peace.